TELAVIV, Israel (BN24)—Dozens of Israeli activists marched through Tel Aviv on Tuesday, protesting what they described as the Israeli government’s role in the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid agencies warn of widespread famine and rising child mortality.
Gathering at HaBima Square, demonstrators carried placards reading “Starvation is a War Crime” and “It’s Being Done in Our Name.” The group marched toward the Israeli Ministry of Defense carrying symbolic sacks of flour, denouncing the alleged weaponization of food and forced displacement of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The protest comes amid escalating international concern over what the United Nations has described as a “man-made famine.” In a June 2025 statement, the UN condemned Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza, declaring the blockade and resulting starvation a violation of international law and a potential war crime.
UN: Famine Crisis Escalates in Gaza
More than 2.1 million Palestinians are now living in increasingly dire conditions, with the majority displaced and crowded into 12 percent of Gaza’s territory. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the territory’s food, water, and medical supplies are at “unprecedented” scarcity levels.
Humanitarian agencies report that food convoys remain blocked at Gaza’s borders while malnutrition rates—especially among children—have doubled in recent months. Al Jazeera cited medical sources reporting the deaths of 21 children from starvation in just 72 hours this week, amid widespread shortages.
At Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals, including Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah and Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, staff report a surge in patients suffering from acute food deprivation. Among the deceased were two newborns and a young child.
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, Director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, warned that Gaza has entered a critical phase of famine. “We are seeing irreversible damage—children with memory loss, pregnant women with severe deficiencies, and no medical infrastructure to support them,” he said.
Airstrikes Compound Humanitarian Disaster
Tuesday’s protest also coincided with reports of renewed Israeli airstrikes across Gaza. According to local hospital officials, at least 45 Palestinians were killed in a single day, including five civilians—three of them children—near the Ali Ibn Abi Talib Mosque in Gaza City. Thirteen others died in pre-dawn shelling of a tent encampment at Al-Shati refugee camp.
The rising civilian toll has intensified calls for international intervention. The Arab League urged the UN to pass an emergency resolution ending the siege and ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid. Algeria and Somalia, both currently serving as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, have been tasked with lobbying for the resolution.
Professional Unions Join Global Appeals
Palestinian professional associations including doctors, journalists, and lawyers—have joined the outcry. In a rare joint statement, they appealed to global unions and human rights organizations to condemn what they called a “systematic starvation policy” and demand accountability under international humanitarian law.
Medical workers in Gaza describe operating under extreme conditions, with hospitals running at 250% capacity and supplies exhausted. Some doctors report being forced to treat patients while suffering from hunger themselves.
The situation has sparked outrage beyond the region. U.S.-based company GHF and its CEO, Johnnie Moore—an evangelical pastor and outspoken supporter of Israel—have come under scrutiny following reports linking them to controversial food distribution operations in Gaza. Critics accuse GHF of exacerbating civilian suffering by allegedly controlling food flows in what they called “Hunger Games-style tactics.”
A Humanitarian Catastrophe Unfolding
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) recently reported that more than 5,500 children in Gaza are now suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Estimates suggest 17,000 children are at immediate risk, with hundreds arriving daily at hospitals exhibiting signs of starvation-related cognitive dysfunction.
“We are facing a full-blown famine,” said a UN spokesperson. “The main threat in Gaza is no longer airstrikes—it’s hunger.”
Credit: punching.com
